Shipping and display portfolio



Feb. 17, 1942. R. J. GUNDER SHIPPING AND DISPLAY PORTFOLIO Filed Nov. 10, 1938 FIG. 4

Ross/7r a. au/vosn INVENIUR.

BY 2% g g V 7 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 17, 1942 SHIPPING AND DISPLAY PORTFOLIO Robert Jay Gunder, Lancaster, Pa., assignor to Hamilton Watch Company, Lancaster; Pa.

Application November 10, 1938, Serial No. 239,782 '7 Claims. (01. 40152.1)'

The object of this invention is to house assorted material including goods, wares, merchandise, printed matter, advertisements, etc., neatly, compactly, and in proper rotation or order so that it will be protected and kept in proper order. 1

A second object of this invention is to provide a rigid container protecting the contents against folding or mutilation while in transport.

A further object of this invention is to display assorted material in the same package that the material was shipped in, that is, to provide a suitable, attractive, and inexpensive frame for displaying certain of the contents.

A still further object is to achieve the ultimate objective of providing a variety of window or store displays with a minimum of pieces, thus considerably reducing costs, packing problems, and shipping expense.

Additional objects are to provide a container having tabs for the easy removal of material contained therein when the container is very tightly packed; and also to provide other means for removal of the contained material when a normal amount of material is present.

In short, the desideratum of this invention is the providing'of a shipping portfolio which may also serve as a display frame and which has provided "in connection therewith means for easy removal of the contained material.

The invention is particularly adapted for the shipping and display of advertising material, although a combination of goods, suchas, advertising material and clothing, or clothing only is clearly within the scope of the invention.

One general embodiment of my invention is set forth in the following specifications and in the drawing. However, I do not intend to be limited by the specific disclosure in the drawing or claims, but intend to cover the invention in its broadest aspect.

Prior to my invention, materials, literature, commodities, or goods were placed in a special container, box or package for shipping purposes and upon arriving at their destination were then put into special containers for displaypurposes. Quite often the display containers themselves were often enclosed along with the material to be displayed in the shipping container either in knocked down or in semi-knocked down condition. Therefore, applicant determined to overcome this unsatisfactory condition and conceived the novel idea of utilizing the one container to do the work for which formerly two containers were necessary.

The result of this inventive concept has been a large saving due to the elimination of the second container, and also due to labor and postage costs saved in being able to more easily pack and forward this special shipping and display portfolio than-the old style packing box. Another advantage is that the retailer, upon receiving this special portfolio, is able to see what it contains and will immediately place the device in an advantageous display position thereby obtaining the cooperating help of the manufacturers national magazine advertising and benefiting both himself and the manufacturer. This is clearly. an important advantage over the old method of shipping in which the material may lie in the retailers cellar for a week or more before being opened.

The present invention obviates all need for the two containers and in an entirely practical manner provides a solution for this old method of procedure. A label can be attached directly to the rear of the base board 2 and the container shipped in that manner without any wrapping whatsoever. However, where the cover I is made of a substance, the finish of which may become marred or dirty, due to the long distance which it is sent or improper handling by the transportation company, the portfolio may be wrapped with Cellophane of various colors or ordinary wrapping paper anda label attached to the outside. Therefore, this container may act as a substitution for an outer or shipping box.

Another advantage is that in order to forward material such as, printed matter, in the old shipping boxes, interior packing material or stiffeners were necessary within the outer container in order not to bend or break, and thus ruin, the stiff printed matter. In practicing the present invention in cases where it is desired to use the old packing box, the new container with which this invention is concerned will eliminate the necessity for any packing material or any stiffener? whatsoever.

This portfolio is preferably made of cardboard for purposes of economy, but colored plastics, metal or anyother well-known substance may be used.

In the drawing: V.

Fig. 1 shows a front elevation of my display or shipping portfolio either in its shipping position or in its display position.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of my device in its shipping or knocked down position with the supports flat against the base.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1 with the support not being shown.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of my device in its set-up or display position.

Fig. is an enlarged view of the lower end of the cover showing one modification of the retaining element.

This invention consists of a cover I having the central portion thereof cut out to provide an opening. This cover element is separated from a base 2 by means of a spacer 3 which extends throughout both sides and the top of the device, but not across the bottom. The omission of the spacer or spacing element at the bottom of the portfolio provides an entrance for the material to be forwarded. The spacer might be omitted at the top or at either side of the portfolio instead of at the bottom to provid the opening. Also the spacer may be omitted from both the top and the bottom or from both sides.

The portfolio is illustrated with a special safety catch or retainer l5 which will insure the re tention of the material in the fortfolio even though the quantity of material shipped is less than the usual amount. This catch may be of any spring material, such as, metal which is glued or hammered into the cover or may be merely a protuberance integrally formed on the rear side of the cover itself. If desired, this safety catch may be dispensed with.

Material to be shipped and displayed, namely, 6, and 1, is enclosed in a protective, continuous, fold-over, preferably flexible element 4 and is adapted to be inserted between the cover I and base 2 through the opening existing in the bottom or other side of the portfolio. Protective sheet 4 has at its lower extremities pull tabs 5 which serve to withdraw the material contained therein from the device.

When the portfolio is forwarded, it will ordinarily contain in addition to the foldable advertising booklet 6, other material 1 which is not adapted for display, but is for the purpose of establishing good will, etc., between the retailer and manufacturer. The device is shown containing two sets of advertising material. However, any number of booklets or any quantity of literature or goods may be forwarded.

The cavity at first will contain a great deal more material than it will hold subsequent to its reception by the retailer, and hence a positive means, such as, pull tabs 5 are necessary in order to withdraw the large quantity of material from the portfolio.

After the portfolio is received by the retailer, elements 4, 6 and 1 are withdrawn from the cavity by tabs 5. Protective cover 4 and booklet I are read and filed away by the retailer, while booklet 6 is reinserted into the container in such a manner that the particular display which the retailer desires to use at that particular time is facing the opening in cover 4. Any one of a number of suitable displays, reproductions of national advertisements or proofs appearing in booklet 6, may be placed so that it may be seen through the frame. Subsequently, due to the smaller amount of material in the container, it may easily be withdrawn by means of the notches 8 in the base and in the support 9.

The support 9 is fastened to the base 2 of the portfolio and has two wings, I!) and H, one on each side and a notch in its lower end. These wings are adapted to be bent at right angles to the main portion 9 in their operative position. A latch I2 is also provided having slits, l3 and I 4, therein. This latch is fastened at its lower end, and the slits therein are adapted to engage the wings and hold them securely in position.

It is, therefore, seen that applicant has provided a simple, inexpensive method for manufacturers to promote and clinch locally the effect of their advertisements appearing in current national publications by displaying, at the same time, reproductions or proofs of these advertisements at the local point of sale or consumption.

What I claim is:

1. A shipping and display portfolio comprising a base, a cover having a central opening therein, a spacing element between said base and said cover throughout three of the sides thereof to form a cavity, and a retaining element secured near the fourth side and having a flexible edge thereof extending outwardly from the secured edge into the cavity to directly contact and impositively engage material adapted to be placed therein.

2. A base, a cover having a central opening therein, a spacing element between said base and said cover so arranged as to provide a cavity between said two elements, material contained in said cavity, a support attached to said base element at its central portion and having an unattached wing which is so constructed and arranged that it folds away from said base element into an operative position or folds adjacent said base element into an inoperative position, said support and said base having a notch at one side on its lowermost edge in order to withdraw the said material contained in said cavity.

3. A container comprising a frame and a support, said frame having a notch at its lowermost portion, said support comprising a base piece having a notch, said notches in said frame and said base piece in registry whereby they cooperate while items are withdrawn from the frame, two wing-like portions which are adapted to be bent at right angles to the base piece, a hinged latch having therein two slits, said slits being adapted to engage said wing-like portions.

4, A shipping and display portfolio comprising a base, a cover having a central opening therein, a spacing element between said base and said cover throughout three of the sides thereof and forming a cavity therebetween, various advertising material in said cavity, a protective, foldover, flexible element in said cavity surrounding said advertising material, said protective element having pull tabs at its lower end to facilitate initial withdrawal of said material placed in said cavity after forwarding, a retaining element at the rear of said cover and extending into said cavity, a support attached to said base for display purposes, a notch cut in the lower edge of said base and support for facilitating withdrawal of said material after it has been on display.

5. A shipping and display portfolio comprising a rear element, a front element having an opening to display certain material therein, means for spacing said rear element from said front element to form an appreciable cavity therebetween, various advertising material contained in said cavity, a protective, foldover, separate flexible element in said cavity surrounding said advertising material, said protective element having pull tabs at its lower end to facilitate withdrawal of the material in said cavity, and a support attached to said base for displaying the advertising through the opening in the front element.

6. A shipping and display portfolio comprising to said front and rear elements to provide a space between the front and rear elements to house a multiplicity of paper displays, a fold down support comprising a base and. a Wing member attached to and cooperating with said rear element and so constructed and arranged that in its operative position the shipping container will be transformed into a display device and said base and wing member having a notch in registry with both elements on this lowermost edge to facilitate the withdrawal of material from said cavity.

ROBERT JAY GUNDER. 

